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Does Your Dog Ever Have Fun? By Chris McNamee

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Does Your Dog Ever Have Fun?

By Chris McNamee

I get asked this question by people I meet all the time. They are concerned that my guide dog Max is, well, a beast of burden, and never gets to play, and just be a dog. I am always quick to set them straight. First and foremost, Max loves to work. He has never been left home alone in the three years that we have been a team, and I think it would break his little puppy heart to be left behind. When he sees my wife Lynn and I getting ready to leave the house, he heads for the door, and hops into the car, ready to go. Max has been on dozens of plane trips, visiting Seattle, Chicago, Wisconsin, and even spending three weeks on vacation in Mexico! He has ridden elevators, escalators, buses, trams, and even the sky gondola at Busch Gardens. Max is always eager for a new adventure, tail held high and wagging, a dog’s universal sign of happiness.

Besides enjoying his work as my guide, Max gets to play every day. Max is true to his breed, a born retriever. He only loves food more than his toy Kong. Nothing provides him more enjoyment than the wild bounce of the oddly shaped Kong. He will actually quiver with excitement as he waits for my arm to make its move in a throwing motion. He makes amazing leaps in his pursuit of this toy, and promptly brings it back to me, making his ”Proud Circle” prance around me before depositing it at my feet for a “do it again, do it again” little dance.

Max loves people. His is a gracious ambassador for Southeastern Guide Dogs, the school that trained Max, and then the two of us to be a team. When the opportunity presents itself to take off his harness and visit new friends, Max is quick with a puppy kiss, and a rub against his new friend’s knee. Max is especially good with children, even little toddlers. Max will make himself small, lying down on his belly, to reduce himself to the little tyke’s size, and allow his ears to be pulled, and his nose poked. He demonstrates extreme self control, and never attempts to steal a sucker or poach a donut that may be clasped in a little one’s fist, even if they offer it to him!

Max loves to work the crowd at a party. Recently, my wife and I attended an event where only two elementary school aged children were in attendance amongst the adults. Max happily went off with these new friends to explore the party, and entertained the crowd as these two discovered that he was just as obedient for them as he is for me. They were quick to show off their command of Max’s tricks, asking him to sit, stay and shake for them. Max would occasionally lead them back to me to check in and then head off again, eager to explore and show off for the crowd.

Working dogs like Max, love their jobs, but also have plenty of time off during the day. They belong to loving families, many times with children, and or pets in the home, and have a great time just being a dog……. a very well behaved dog, that is.

Chris McNamee has the degenerative rentinal disease retinitis pigmentosa. RP is characterized by the progressive loss of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones, which provide night and peripheral vision. RP is an inherited disease; his father has RP as well as a younger sister. Chris was diagnosed with the disease at age 28, and his vision deteriorated to the point that he was forced to stop driving six years later in 1993. He currently has a very small central field of vision, and no night vision. He travels with the aid of his guide dog, Max.

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